Molding machine



July 27, 1943. 5. J. GEDRIS 2,325,501

MOLDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 30, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet l Siauz J: G'alvis 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jwuontoc S. J. GEDRIS MOLDING MACHINE EEIE Filed Jan. 30, 1942 sianlfiy J: via

HEHEHU July 27, 1943. 5;. J. GEDRIS 2,325,501

MOLDING MACHINE 111s xiv/III.

52 jfaalefy .J; GCdviJ July 27, 1943. s. J. GEDRIS 2,325,501

MOLDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 30, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 1 5 .9 v if. 1

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July 27, 1943. s 1 GEDRls 2,325,501

MOLDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 30, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 sianl y J Geiivis Patented July 27, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE t 2,325,501 a I r MOLDING MZCHINE Stanley J. (3iedris, Grand Rapids, Mich. Application January 30, 1942, Serial No. 428,912 (ci. 22-20) a V 22 Claims.

The present invention relates to molding machines, and more particularly to machines for making sand molds in which metal i to be cast, in foundries or the like.

The primary objectsof theinvention are, in general, to provide asemi-automatic molding machine which eliminates the manual perform ance of certain operations in making a sand mold; to provide such a machine which produces sand molds of uniform density thus insuring perfection in the metal casting made in the mold and eliminating blisters. which occurin molds not uniformly packed; to provide such a machine having a novel presser head for eliminating manual ramming ofsand in the cope and drag flasks in which the mold is made; to provide such a machine having co-operating flask supporting frames for automatically bringing together the cope and drag parts of the mold; to provide such a machine whose cope anddrag flaskesupporting frames are each designed to carry a plurality of flasks; so that different operations may simultaneously be performed on each flask and'the Figure 9 is a perspective view of a pair of levelling frames which constitute part of the mold: ing machine;

Figure is an enlarged central vertical sectional view through the drag pattern table and presser head seen at the left of Figure 1, these production rate of the completed molds thus greatly increased; to provide such a machine in eluding transfer and conveyor means associated with said flask supporting frames for automatically transferring the completed molds from the frames to the" foundry area in which the. molten metal is poured into-the molds for making the castings; to provide such a machine which ac cords certain Other andmore specific advantages hereinafter appearing; andto provide such a molding machine which is eflicient in operation and reasonably economical in manufacture.

Illustrativ embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings,wherein: Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the molding machine of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof, certain parts of the machinetbeing omitted in this View and certain other movable parts thereof being shown in different turned positions to better illustrate other parts of the machine beneath h i s y Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of parts thereof taken online 3-3 of Figurel; 1

t Figure 4 is a sectional view of the same taken on line 4--4 of Figure 3; V V

Figure 5 is an, enlarged sectional view of the drag presser head ofthe machine taken on line 5 -5 of Figural; I

Figure 6. is a sectional view of the samet'aken online 6;6 of Figure 5; i V Figure 7 is asectional view on line !--1 of Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a packing block adapted for use in the presser heads of the machine f t a of the same taken on line 2 l24 of Figure 23; and

parts being here shown in the drag mold-forming process; i

1 Figure 11 is a sectional View similar to Figure 10 but showing the cope pattern table and presser head seen at the right of Figure 1;

Figure lZ is an enlarged fragmentary perspective View of a drag flask and-its supporting frame, showing a portable mold-supporting slab applied to the drag flask; Figure 13 is a top plan view of parts of the molding machine, similar to Figure 2 but showing certain movable parts thereof in different turned positions;

. Figure 14 is a sectional view of taken on line i l-I4 of Figure'l3; 1

' Figure 15 is a side elevational view of parts of the molding machine, similar to Figure 1 but showing jcertain movable parts thereof instill other turned positions; r

Figure 16 is an enlarged fragmentary central vertical sectional view of cope and drag flasks and the pneumatic transfer and conveyor seen in the center of Figures 1 and 15;

"Figure 17 is an enlarged sectional view of certain parts of the machine taken onlines ll-H of Figures 2 and 13; a f

" Figure lsisa fragmentar yitop plan parts thereof view of Figure 19 is a view similar to Figure 5 but a showing a modified form of presser head;

Figure 20 i a sectional view thereof taken on line 2B2fi of Figure 19;

Figure 21 is a perspective view similar to Figure 8 but'showing a modified form of packing block;

Figure 22 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Figure 11 but showing packing blocks of the modified type illustrated in Figure21 applied to the cope presser head; 1

Figure 23 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 11, shown partly in central vertical section taken on line 23-43 of Figure 24 and partly in side elevation, of another modification of the cope forming partsof the molding machinej 'Figure24i is a sectionalview of the same taken Figure 25 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 23 but showing certain parts of the ma- 7 wherein like parts are designated by the same numerals in the several views, the molding-machine there illustrated generally comprises a drag flask supporting frame 1 whose central vertical hollow shaft 2 is pivotally and vertically slidably mounted on a column 3 set in the floor of the foundry, the hollow shaft 2 and column '3 being supported in upright position by means of "a pedestal 4 secured by bolts 5 to the foundry right position by means of a pedestal 9 secured by bolts IE] to the foundry floor. The drag. frame I is fixedly mounted on its central hollow shaft 2 by means of spider arms il whose inner ends are secured to the hollow shaft 2 by means of screws 2 and whose opposite pairs of outer ends are secured, respectively, to the side rails l3 of the frame [*by meansof bolts l5 and to the cross rails l5 of the frame 6 by means of bolts Hi. In similar manner the cope frame 6 is fixedly mounted on its central hollow shaft 'I'by means of spider arms l-i whose inner ends are secured to this hollow shaft-T by means of screws l8 and whose opposite pairs of outer ends are secured, respec tiVely,-'-to the side rails l9 of the frame 6 by means of bolts-2t and to the cross rails 2| of the frame 5 by means of bolts 22.

' Levers 23 and 24 are mounted on the pedestals land 9 'respectively'for raising and lowering the drag frame'l and the cope frame 5. These levers 23 and 24 being identical in construction and operation, only the drag, lever 23 is shown in detail, infigu'res 3'and 4 of the drawings. This lever 23 extends through a slot 25 in the pedestal 4 and is pivotallymounted on a spindle 26 passing through lugsZT- on opposite sides ofthe slot 25. ,Theinner end of the lever 23 is forked'and the: prongs 28 thereof are pivotally attached by means of screws 23 to opposite sides of a collar 30'vertically slidably mounted on the column 3 below the hollow center shaft 2 of the drag frame full lines in Figure 17 to their broken line posi- V tions shown in this figure, and the cope flasks 39 Bset in the foundry floor and which hollow shaft; 1 1 and column 8 are similarly supported in tipi. It will readily be seen that when the extreme 7 outer end pedal 35 of the lever2 3 is in a raised r position the drag frame is in a lowered position, and that when the pedal 32 is depressed and the lever 23 engaged beneath a keeper 33 secured to the foundrynoor, tneidrag frame I is maintainedinaraised position as illustrated in Flgure '1 and remains free" to revolve on the column.3. v Y

"A pivoted frame 3% is mounted in each end of the drag frame-"i and is horizontally pivotally secured'in said frame 1 byiiieans of the bolt 16 passing through theadjacent cross rail I5 of the drag. frame l and a similar bolt 35 passing through theed'jacent end rail 3613f the. drag frame I. Collars?! areinterposed betweenvthe pivoted frames 34 and their adjacent cross rails. ISand end rails 35, thus to properly space each pivoted frame 34 in the drag frame I.

Drag flasks Stare releasably secured in the pivotedjirame's 3 of the drag frame l, and cope flasks't are similarly releasably secured in the oppositeends ,of the cope frame 6 as by means.

i of a plurality of electrically controlled latch mechanisms. The cope latch mechanismsgare generally; designated and one of these (indicated at the right end of the cope frame 6' in Figures 2 and 13) is illustrated in detail in Figures 17 and 18, and comprises a keeper dl' secured as by means of screws 42 to the out.- side'o-f the cope flask 3S and a horizontally disposed cylindrical latchbolt 43 pivotally mounted on a spindle s4 extending between the spaced fiang es'dt of a flexible. metal armature itv secured bye screw-4'1 tothe'adjacent' end rail 48 of the are thus released from the cope frame 6 when their supporting latch mechanisms 49 are simultarieously energized.

The electrically controlled latch mechanisms 51 at the sides of the drag flasks 38 are identical to those described above in connection with the cope fiasks 39 except that the latch bolts, armatures, and electromagnets of these latch mechanismsfil are installed in the'pivoted frames 34 rather than in the drag frame I- proper, while the end latch mechanisms 5-2 for these drag flasks 38 are identical to the side latch mechanisms 5! except that they'are inverted, so that the drag flasks 38 are releasably s'ecure'din, and rotatablewith; the. pivoted frames 34.

When the drag frame l-and copeframe Bare in their positions shown in Figure l, the outermost drag flask 38 is=directly above the drag pattern 53 and the outermost-cope flask 39 is directly above the" cope pattern 54'. 53'is'mounted on a pattern table 55 secured by means of a' bracket 56 and screws 51 to the upper end'of the piston'rod 58 of a pneumatic jolt rammer 59 of conventionalconstruction secured to the foundry floorby means of screws 60 and having the usual cylinder filypiston-head. 62, and fluid pressure conduit/63 (see Figure 10). In like manner, the cope'pattern-EQ is mounted on a" pattern table 64 secured by means of a bracket 65 and screws BB-to the upper end of the piston rod 61' of a'similar jolt rammer 68 secured to the foundry'fioor by means of screws 68 and havingthe usual cylinder'lfl; piston head 1!, and fluid pressure conduit 12' (seeFigure 1 1).

A drag presser head "#3 is provided with a bail 14 whosefour'depending arms 15 are secured to this presser head by means of screws 16, and this drag presser head His suspended directly above the drag pattern '53 by means'of acablel'l attached to the bail T4 and passing over 'a'pulley 18 secured to a suitable mooring thereabove (not shown); In similar manner a cope presser head 19 is suspended directly above the cope pattern by meansof a'cabl'e'80'passing over a pulley 8i and attached to a-bail 82 whose f0ur'depend-' ing'arms 83- are secured'to' thecopepresserhead 19 by means of screws-M. These drag" and cope" presser heads may be raised; or lowered by'the operator by means of thei'rcables, and the presser heads being" identicaldn construction, only the drag presser head 13 is here shown in detail in Figures 5, 6, and'l.

The drag presser head '13 comprises. an outer rectangular frame 85 and a'plurality of horizontally spaced transverse cross bars "86' here shown formed integrally with the frame 85. The trans verse slots 8'! formed between the'cross bars 85 are each adapted to receive aplurality'of packingb10cks88 one of which blocksrls shown in perspective view in Figures. These "packing blocks 88 are of uniform thickness throughout but are widened at their top ends to form heads 89, are prefera-blybeveledatthcinbO-ttom ends 98, and are of various lengths'and' consequently vary in weight. As best illustratedin Figures'G and 7, the longestand-heaviest packing blocks are placed in the presserheads in positi0nsoor= responding to the deepest portions of the pat- "Ihe drag pattern tern, whereas the shortest and lightest packing blocks are placed to correspondto the highest portions of the pattern. s

Operation The machine is shown with its various parts in a starting position in Figure 1. The drag frame I islowered by means of the lever 23 so that the outermost drag flask rests on the drag pattern 53. At the same time, the cope frame 6 is lowered by means of the lever 24 so that the outermost cope flask 39 rests on the cope pattern 54. Over each of these flasks is next placed a pair of levelling frames 9I- .(see Figures 9, 10, and 11), and the flasks are then filled with sand. Next the drag presser head 13 and the cope presser head 1'9 are simultaneously lowered onto their flasks and frames 9I, each packing block 12 strikingthe sand with a force directly proportionate to the ultimate finished'thickness of the mold at that point. The blocks 88 being vertically slidable in the slots 81, their bottom ends 90 remain at substantially the same level in the sand. The beveled lower ends SE] of these packing blocks 88 facilitate adjustment of the sand to a substantially uniform upper level. The flasks are next 7 disengaged from their supporting frames by energizing the electromagnetic latches i and 4E, and the jolt rammers .59 and 58 are actuated to impart an intermittent up and down jolting of the tables 55 and 54 and to the drag and cope flasks now supported thereby, During this joltingoperation, the packing blocks 38, continueto exert forces proportionate to the various thick-, nesses of the molds, and the sand is thus uni forrnly packed in the flasks.

Upon the completion of the jolting operation, the electromagnetic latches 5i and it are de energized, thus restoring these outermost cope and drag flasks to the support of their respective frames, whereupon the presser heads I3 and B9 are raised, and the levelling frames Mare slid off their respective flasks, first the upper levelling frames, and finally the lower levelling frames thus insuring surfaceson the tops of the. molds which are smooth and level with the top edges of the flasks. 7

A portable mold-supporting slab 92 is next applied to the drag flask 38 containing the drag mold, as best seen in Figure 12. A pair of clamping members 93 is mounted on each side of the slab '92, said clamping members having lateral flanges $4 secured by screws 95 to the slab 92 and sloping flanges 96 adapted to engage pins 91 on the sides of the drag flask 38 to detachably secure theslab 92 to the drag flask after the slab has beenslid into position thereon.

As illustrated in Figures 13 and 14, the cope and drag frames I and 6 respectively are now rotated through 180 degrees on their vertical axes during which rotation the pivoted frame 34'and the drag flask 38 and drag mold contained therein-is rotated 180 degrees on its horizontal axis to an inverted position. When the complementary cope and drag molds have thus been brought into their proper positions for assembly, with the cope mold above the inverted drag mold, the frames I and 6 are both lowered by means of the lovers 23 and 24 and the flasks and molds are united as illustrated in Figures 15 and 16.

A pneumatic transfer 98 secured to the foundry floor by means of screws 99, is of conventional construction having a cylinder I 02, fluid pressure conduit Nil, piston head I02, and piston rodlil 3' Figures 23, 24, and 25 shows, in conjunction with,

ting the sprue through which the molten metal is to be poured. In this construction, the presser head H9 is suspended as by means ofchains I20; from the piston rod I2I of a. pneumatic cylinder- I04 is nowlowered (see Figurelfi) and the, slab 92,the united cope and drag flasks,.and the completed mold therein are deposited on. a horizontal conveyor comprising spaced apart tracks I05- mounted upon posts I06 secured to the foundry floor by means of screws I01 and having conveyor chains I08 movable in the tracksIGS and provided with lugs I09 toengage the slab 92.

It will be seen that the rotation of the drag and cope frames through degrees and subsequent lowering thereof previously described, brings the now outermost cope and drag flasks into position on the patterns 54 and 53 respectively for forming another mold, and that release of these now outermost cope and drag flasksfor the jolting operation coincides with the release of the already completed mold to the transfer platform I541, and thus the electromagnetic latches may be operated simultaneously.

New flasks are inserted into the frames after each completed mold is removed by the trans-.

fer. If desired, the cope and drag frames may be so constructed as to carry four flasks each, spaced manually where indicated by the dotted lines at MI in Figure 16. V I

- Modifications Figures 19 and 20 disclose a modified type of packing blocks I I2 fitted into the slots II3 of the presser head H4. entire length of the slots and have their lower or packing edges cut away to'correspond roughly to the form of the pattern I I5. Thus during the jolting operation the packing is substantially uni form throughout the mold.

It is sometimes found desirable to form minute passages through the cope mold to permit escape of gases which may collect within the mold during the pouring operation. Figures 21 and.22 i1- lustrate a modified type of packing blocks IIIi each having needle-like projections II! on their bottom ends for forming the desired passages when the presser head H8 is lowered onto the sand. These needle-like projections do not necessarily penetrate through to the pattern, but only near enough to weaken the mold at these points sufficiently for the gases to force a complete passage. The modified form of the invention shown in a cope presser head I I9 similer to those previously described, mechanism for automatically cut- I22. A leverarm I23 is pivotally connected to the presser head II9 as at I24, and said lever arm I23 has, at its middle, a pin and slot connec tion I25 with the lowermost end of the piston rod I2I, and at its free end a pin and slot connection I26. with a sprue-cutter I2'I which extends through one ofthe slots I28 in the presser head I I9. Initial downward movement of piston. I

These blocks II2 extend the rotated to position said drag flask on thedrag pattern, a cope flask supporting frame mounted for pivotal movement about a central vertical axis, a pair of cope flasks releasably mounted in the opposite ends of said cope flask supporting frame, a cope pattern table, a cope presser head above the cope pattern table adapted to pack sand in one of the cope flasks when the cope sup porting frame is rotated to position said cope flask on the cope pattern, said drag and cope flask supporting frames being rotatable to superimposed positions wherein the cope flask and its mold may be united with the inverted drag flask and its mold, in which position the empty opposite drag flask is positioned on the drag pattem and the empty opposite cope flask is positioned on the cope pattern, a horizontal conveyor passing beneath the united cope and drag flasks, and a vertically movable transfer adapted to transfer the united cope and drag fiasks to said horizontal conveyor. I

7. In a molding machine, in combination with a pattern including a gate portion, and a flask on said pattern for containing sand, a presser head adapted to be lowered onto the flask and having a plurality of slots therethrough, a plurality of packing blocks vertically slidably disposed in said slots and adapted to pack the sand in the flask, a lever arm having one end thereof pivotally attached to the presser head, a spruecutter pivotally attached to the free end of said lever arm, and a pneumatic cylinder having a lengths and are interchangeably receivable in said openings.

11. The elements in combination defined in claim 9 wherein said blocks are of different -weights and are interchangeably receivable in said openings.

piston rod flexibly connected to th presser head and pivotally connected to the lever arm intermediate the latters ends whereby initial downward movement of the piston rod lowers the presser head onto the flask and farther downward movement of the piston rod forces said spruecutter through the sand in the flask to thegate portion of said pattern.

8. In a molding machine, in combination witha pattern and a flask thereon for containing sand, a pressure head located above said pattern and flask, a plurality of packing blocks mounted for vertical sliding movement on said frame, a sprue-cutter mounted for vertical movement on said frame and means for forcibly moving said sprue-cutter downwardly through said sand into proximity with said pattern.

9. In a molding machine, in combination with a pattern and a flask thereon for containing sand,"

12. The elements incombination defined in claim 9 wherein said blocks are of different lengths and of different weights and are interchangeably'receivable in said openings.

13. In a molding machine, a drag flask supporting frame and a cope flask supporting frame, each mounted for rotation on a vertical axis from respective separated molding positions to a common superimposed flask joining position and means for detachably mounting drag and cope flask portions respectively in each frame.

14; The elements in combination defined in claim 13 in which the means for mounting the drag flask portion in the drag flask supporting frame includes means for rotating the drag flask in said frame on a horizontal axis.

15. The elements in combination defined in claim 13 combined with means for elevatingeach of said supporting frames on its vertical axis.

16. The elements in combination defined in claim 13'combined with a horizontal conveyor adjacent said common flask joining position and means for transferring the joined flask portions from said supporting frames to said conveyor.

17. The elements in combination defined in claim 13 in which the vertical axes of the respective flask supporting frames are separate and spaced apart and each flask supporting frame includes means for detachably mounting a plurality of flask portions.

18. The elements in combination defined in claim 13 in which the horizontal plane of rotation of said cope flask supporting frame is located above the corresponding plane of the drag flask supporting frame.

19. The elements in combination defined in claim 13 in which said means for detachably mounting said drag and cope flask portions are electrically operated latches.

20. The elements in combination defined in claim 13 combined with a pattern table at each of said molding positions, and means for elevating each of said flask supporting frames on its vertical axis above the patterns on the respective pattern tables,

21. The elements in combination defined in claim 13 combined with a support located beneath said flask supporting frames at said flask joining positions to receive said flasks when they are detached from said frames.

22. The elements in combination defined in claim 13 combined with a conveyor and a support located beneath said'flask supporting frames at said flask joining positions to receive said flasks when they are detached from said frames, said support being movable from said flask receiving position to deposit said flask upon said conveyor.

STANLEY J. GEDRIS. 

